Orientation & Mentoring

Following their graduation from law school and recovery from the bar exam, entering Sheppard Mullin associates get back in the groove through New Associate Orientation, held annually in the Fall in Los Angeles for first year (and recently-arrived lateral) associates from all of our offices.  During New Associate Orientation, you will receive important information on a variety of topics, including Organization of the Firm, Staff Relations, Associate Evaluations, Salary Structure, Client Development, and Ethics and Risk Management. 

In addition, every new associate is assigned to a partner in their Practice Group who will serve as a formal mentor and be responsible for the associate's professional development from Day One at the firm.  The assigned partner will participate in all of the associate's informal and formal performance reviews and work with the associate to develop an annual individual business / professional development plan. Every six months, the associate will receive feedback on his or her progress toward achieving the goals outlined in their plan. To ensure continuity, an associate will have the same assigned partner during his or her tenure as an associate at the Firm.